The invention provides a method and apparatus for making an abrasive product comprising providing a substantially horizontally deployed flexible backing having a first surface bearing an at least partially cured primer coating and an opposite second surface; providing a dry flowable particle mixture comprising abrasive particles and particulate curable binder material; depositing a plurality of temporary shaped structures comprised of said particle mixture on the at least partially cured primer coating of the first surface of the backing; softening said particulate curable binder material to provide adhesion between adjacent abrasive particles; and curing the softened particulate curable binder material to convert said temporary shaped structures into permanent shaped structures and cure the at least partially cured primer coating on the first surface of the backing. The invention also provides an abrasive product made by the method.
The invention provides a method and apparatus for making an abrasive product comprising providing a substantially horizontally deployed flexible backing having a first surface bearing an at least partially cured primer coating and an opposite second surface; providing a dry flowable particle mixture comprising abrasive particles and particulate curable binder material; depositing a temporary layer comprising said particle mixture on the at least partially cured primer coating of the first surface of the backing; softening said particulate curable binder material to provide adhesion between adjacent abrasive particles; embossing the layer comprising softened particulate curable binder material and abrasive particles to provide a pattern of raised areas and depressed areas and curing the softened particulate curable binder material to convert the embossed layer into a permanent embossed layer comprised of cured particulate binder material and abrasive particles and cure the at least partially cured primer coating on the first surface of the backing. The invention also provides an abrasive product having an embossed surface made by the method.
A method of making an abrasive product includes compacting a cohesive layer of abrasive particles and particulate curable binder precursor prior to forming curable shaped structures, and then at least partially curing the curable binder precursor.
A structured abrasive article comprises a backing, a structured abrasive layer affixed to the backing, the structured abrasive layer comprising: a plurality of raised abrasive regions, each raised abrasive region consisting essentially of a close-packed plurality of pyramidal abrasive composites; and a network consisting essentially of close-packed truncated pyramidal abrasive composites, wherein the network continuously abuts and separates the raised abrasive regions from one another. The height of the pyramidal abrasive composites is greater than the height of the truncated pyramidal abrasive composites. Methods of making and using the same are also disclosed.
